Illegal Israeli settlers attempted to set fire to a mosque in the northern occupied West Bank early on Tuesday, in the latest attack in the occupied Palestinian territory, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Local sources told Wafa that illegal settlers tried to break into the Nur al-Din Zengi Mosque in the town of Bazariya, northwest of Nablus.
After failing to force open the mosque’s doors, they set fire to a room near the mosque and sprayed racist slogans at the site.
The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs condemned the attack, describing the targeting of mosques and places of worship as a “dangerous and systematic escalation” aimed at provoking Muslims.
The ministry called on international and human rights organisations to protect places of worship and act against repeated illegal settler attacks on Palestinian towns and villages.
The incident comes amid a sharp increase in attacks by illegal Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank.
The UN said in August that illegal settler violence had reached “unprecedented levels,” with more than 1,430 attacks resulting in casualties or property damage documented in 2026 as of early August.
Mosques have also been targeted in previous attacks. In June, the UN documented arson attacks on mosques in the Ramallah governorate, including attempts to set buildings on fire and graffiti sprayed on their walls.
In July, two mosques were torched by illegal settlers in Nablus and Tulkarem.
